Gulmohar received widespread critical acclaim. Critics praised the performances of Tagore, Bajpayee, and Simran. The film was highly praised by audiences too.
Saibal Chatterjee of
NDTV gave the film giving 4 out of 5 stars and said that "there is a great deal of beauty in the muted melodrama", praising the cast's ensemble performance.
Alaka Sahani of
The Indian Express drew a parallel between Gulmohar and
Mira Nair's
Monsoon Wedding and termed it as director Rahul V Chittella's Tribute to his mentor. Dhaval Roy, writing for
The Times of India, gave the movie 3.5 stars and gave particular praise to the acting performance of the cast stating that Tagore "is par excellence" and that "while Manoj is outstanding, so is Simran as his wife, Indu. The duo's individual performances are as noteworthy as their on-screen chemistry as husband and wife". He highlighted the "commendable performances" of the rest of the cast. Monika Rawal Kukreja of
Hindustan Times was more critical. While she praised the cast's performance she also stated that "the film needed much better editing" with certain subplots seeming "half-baked". Sanjib Kalita in
Gaysi critically examines the queer representation in the film, stating that "The queer representation in the film is mere tokenism, and is used to construct the illusion of diversity." Kalita further adds "Understanding female sexuality in isolation from class, the economy, and society is difficult. Society privileges men and stifles women’s desires, through various institutions like marriage (in this case, between Kusum and her husband), romantic relationships (between Ankur and Ambika), and forces women into compulsory heterosexuality. Director Rahul V. Chittella, who touches upon these subtleties, could have explored more by emphasizing the narratives of desire and longing while connecting critiques of heteronormativity to understandings of other social norms." == Accolades ==